New York Yankees fantasy preview: Owners salivating over Gary Sanchez
As the 2017 fantasy baseball season approaches, we take a look at the biggest news and story lines from each club. We'll feature one team each weekday ... and we'll finish up on Feb. 15, the first day all teams will have their pitchers and catchers on the field for workouts.
It's fair to say the New York Yankees overachieved last season, remaining on the fringes of the playoff chase while trading away veterans and stockpiling prospects. What does it say that shortstop Didi Gregorius was the most valuable fantasy hitter the Yankees had on the roster? Yet things are looking up as several of those youngsters could be significant contributors this season ... and beyond.
2017 fantasy baseball team previews
2016 at a glance
Record: 84-78 (4th in AL East)
Hitting: 22nd (4.20 R/G)
Pitching: 14th (4.16 ERA)
MLB SALARIES: Baseball's top 25 highest-paid players in 2024
Arrivals
OF Matt Holliday
RP Aroldis Chapman
Holliday is coming off a pair of injury-plagued seasons in St. Louis, but the power he lost in 2015 returned last year (20 HR in 382 AB). Moving to the American League, most of his playing time will come as the Yankees' designated hitter -- which should make him less susceptible to injury.
Chapman began 2016 as the Yankees closer before being traded to the Cubs for their championship run. A free agent after the season, the flamethrowing left-hander re-signed with the Yankees to reclaim his old role.
Players to watch
C Gary Sanchez
SP Masahiro Tanaka
Sanchez (pictured above) hit 20 home runs after he was called up from the minors in early August. But fantasy owners should be wary of expecting that kind of power projected over a full season. Those home runs came with a 40% home run-to-fly ball rate -- something that's extremely unlikely to happen again. (MLB leader Ryan Braun was at 29%.) Still, getting above-average production out of the catcher spot is something worth pursuing.
Tanaka has managed to avoid missing major time, despite pitching with a partially torn ligament in his elbow. He won 14 games with a 3.07 ERA in 199 2/3 innings, clearly establishing himself as the ace of the Yankees staff. Can he continue to defy the injury gods?
Sleepers
1B Greg Bird
RP Dellin Betances
Bird returns after missing all of last season with a shoulder injury. However, he was the 2015 version of Sanchez -- hitting 11 homers in 157 at-bats and generating plenty of excitement among fans and fantasy owners. Fully recovered, he'll hit in the middle of the lineup and look to take advantage of Yankee Stadium's short porch in right field.
Betances is a solid gamble for fantasy owner in deeper leagues because he'll be back in his setup role and figures to be one of the leaders in strikeouts among relief pitchers. If Chapman needs a break, Betances would add save chances to those great ratios.
Bullpen
Closer: Aroldis Chapman
Next: Dellin Betances
No bullpen figures to get more strikeouts than the Yankees'. Chapman owners may want to pay the premium to roster Betances as well.
Position battles
As Bird gets back into game shape, he could split time with right-handed hitting Tyler Austin.
The Yankees could use more depth in the starting rotation. At this point, Luis Severino and Chad Green are in line to fill the No. 4 and No. 5 spots. The farm system has a decent crop of young arms, but none are close enough to the majors to count on this season.
Prospects
SS Gleyber Torres
OF Clint Frazier
The Yankees' top two prospects both came as a result of deadline deals last July. Torres was a rising star with the Cubs before being acquired in the Chapman deal. His star continued to rise when he won MVP honors in the Arizona Fall League after leading the league with a .403 average -- as a 19-year-old. He'll start the season at Class AA, but is keeper league gold.
Frazier, 22, arrived from Cleveland in exchange for reliever Andrew Miller. In 520 combined plate appearances at Class AA and AAA, he hit .263/.335/.447 with 16 homers and 13 stolen bases.
Projected batting order
1. LF Brett Gardner
2. CF Jacoby Ellsbury
3. C Gary Sanchez
4. DH Matt Holliday
5. 1B Greg Bird
6. 2B Starlin Castro
7. SS Didi Gregorius
8. 3B Chase Headley
9. RF Aaron Judge
Projected rotation
1. RHP Masahiro Tanaka
2. LHP CC Sabathia
3. RHP Michael Pineda
4. RHP Luis Severino
5. RHP Chad Green